Nuanced Instant Classic Potential (Netflix's The Best Of The Best review)
Some say movies like Bend It Like Beckham , decades ago, or more recently Never Have I Ever , made promising progress in South Asian representation in Hollywood. Best Of The Best makes it very clear that the hunger for this representation is present and can be expressed in ways that could build recognition for creatives. Lena Khan, who directed several TV episodes and is best known for her work with Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on the breakout show that made her the recognizable face we all know and love, helms this Netflix film to flesh out the world of a very prominent competitive culture in American universities: Bollywood Fusion dance teams. Against the backdrop of UCLA, two childhood friends, Maya (Ramakrishnan) and Anjali, played by newcomer Priyanka Kedia, join the dance team and become deeply involved in the South Asian culture it embraces. The film very much portrays that culture within every college these days that has a South Asian Student Association (SASA), as...